The number of building permits and the value of the structures built in 2023 appears to have fallen from a record set in 2021, according to the county Department of Building Safety.
The year-end report issued by the department this month totaled 611 new permits, down 21 from the 632 issued in 2022. Last year’s total estimated construction cost of $68,197,367 is down 6.3% from 2022 but still significantly higher than previous year when just shy of $65 million in construction costs were reported.
Much of the value comes from construction of single-family homes. In 2020, 105 permits for these structures were issued with an estimated cost of $26.6 million. In 2021, 178 permits were OK’d for single-family dwellings.
The total value of 138 new home permits for 2023 was $33,313,560.
In 2022, the number of permits for single-family residence dropped to 157 from 178 in 2021. Last year, the number fell to 138.
Likewise, the value of these structures dropped about $6 million from the previous year — yet still represented about 40% of total permit values for the year.
Based on the first weeks of 2024, construction appears to be jumping ahead as the same period for 2023 — both in number and value.
According to information from the Building Safety office, nine permits for single-family housing had been issued through Jan. 19. Just three new housing permits were issued in the first weeks of 2023.
Likewise, the estimated value of these permits issued in the new year is also higher than the same period in 2023 at $1,522,070. The total for the same period in 2023 was $691,620.
Both lag well behind the totals for the same period in 2021, when 35 permits had been issued and 29 recorded in 2018.
Through Jan. 19, three singlefamily residences had been permitted. For the same period in 2022, seven permits had been issued for this use.
